Wish You Were Here

by Victoria Connelly

  ‘Yes,’ Alice had said with a smile of relief and delight.

  Now, as she walked down the stairs after her shower, she couldn’t help smiling at the thought of seeing Milo again. She couldn’t remember talking to a man with such ease before but, with Milo, the hours had passed by so quickly and happily and the day had ended all too suddenly.

  ‘Oh! There you are!’ Stella’s voice broke into Alice’s thoughts and there, standing in the kitchen with her fifth cup of coffee of the day, was her sister.

  ‘Hello,’ Alice said. ‘Where have you been?’

  ‘Just out,’ Stella said mysteriously, draining her cup and flinging it in the sink to join the others.

  ‘Into town?’ Alice probed.

  Stella’s lips twisted and then she nodded. ‘I got so bored here that I thought I’d try and find you so I ended up going to the museum you said you were visiting but you weren’t there and then I got stuck with this local man who insisted on showing me every single coin and piece of pottery that has ever been dug up on the whole of Kethos!’

  ‘Oh, poor Stella!’ Alice said in sympathy even though she was laughing inside.

  ‘It was awful. Where were you?’

  Alice swallowed. She hated telling lies but she couldn’t risk Stella finding out about Milo.

  ‘I just wandered around really,’ she said with a shrug, turning her back on her sister and opening the fridge to pour herself some fruit juice.

  ‘Wandered around where?’

  ‘Well, I ended up getting a bus and I found this little beach. I spent most of the day there,’ she said, happy that some of what she’d said was the truth.

  ‘Maybe you can show me this beach,’ Stella said.

  ‘Oh, I don’t think you’d like it,’ Alice said.

  ‘Why wouldn’t I like it?’

  ‘It’s very stony and the sea’s so cold,’ Alice said without so much as a twinge at her lie. She was becoming bolder because the thought of not seeing Milo again was too much.

  ‘God, it’s so boring here, isn’t it?’ Stella said, walking through to the living room and flopping down heavily on one of the white sofas.

  ‘I thought you were happy by the pool all day?’

  ‘Only to begin with.’

  ‘Haven’t you brought books with you?’

  ‘Oh, I hate books!’

  Alice sighed. ‘Well, maybe we can find something to do together,’ she said at last.

  ‘Really?’ Stella said, looking at her sister with hope in her eyes. ‘Tomorrow? Can we do something tomorrow?’

  ‘What about the day after?’ Alice said.

  ‘But I want to do something tomorrow!’ she said. ‘I can’t bear another day in this place. I really can’t stand it and you did say we could do something.’

  ‘Yes but just not tomorrow,’ Alice said.

  ‘Why not? What have you got planned?’

  ‘I haven’t got anything pla—’

  ‘What are you hiding from me, Alice?’

  ‘I’m not hiding—’

  ‘And you did say we could do something together!’

  ‘ALL RIGHT!’ Alice shouted. ‘We’ll do something.’

  ‘Tomorrow!’

  ‘Yes,’ Alice relented, ‘we’ll do something tomorrow.’

  Chapter 13

  Milo hadn’t wanted to say goodbye to Alice so early in the day. It was frustrating that they couldn’t spend the evening together. He could have taken her to his favourite restaurant and they could have talked whilst watching the sun go down. That’s what any normal guy would have done, he thought, but he wasn’t a normal guy, was he? He had responsibilities. He had a little sister.

  He’d picked Tiana up from Hanna’s at the usual time and they’d gone straight home for tea together.

  ‘Did you have a nice day off?’ Tiana asked him when they were sitting at the kitchen table together.

  ‘I did,’ he said. And then she’d started. She seemed to know that it hadn’t been an ordinary day off because she wouldn’t relent with the questions.

  ‘But you must have done something interesting because you took the picnic blanket and you never take that unless you’re going somewhere really nice.’

  Milo turned to where Tiana was looking. It was the little wicker chair by the door on which the picnic blanket lived. Of course, it wasn’t there because it was in the back of Milo’s bike.

  ‘You would make a good detective,’ Milo told her and she beamed a smile at him.

  ‘I know. You can’t hide anything from me. I always know exactly what you’re doing.’

  ‘But I’m not trying to hide anything from you,’ he said with what he hoped was a deflecting smile.

  ‘So where did you go?’ she asked.

  He sighed. The deflecting smile hadn’t worked. ‘Just to the beach.’

  ‘Your favourite beach?’ Her bright eyes were wide and inquisitive.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘On your own?’

  Milo clattered his cutlery onto his plate. ‘What is it with all these questions?’

  ‘I just want to know so I can picture it,’ Tiana said innocently.

  Milo pushed his chair out behind him and started clearing away the debris of dinner whilst buying himself some time. It was one of the problems he faced as a single man in sole charge of a little sister – what did he do with his girlfriends? Did he tell them from the outset? He’d tried that before and it hadn’t worked out. He remembered one woman had just laughed at him when he’d brought his phone out and shown her a photo of Tiana.

  Then there was the problem of what to do with a girlfriend if things did get serious. It wouldn’t be right to bring them home because his home was Tiana’s too and he couldn’t very well have a normal healthy relationship without inviting them back to his. There were only so many times you could put such a thing off. And what about the long-term implications? How many women would really want a man who came joined at the hip with a little girl?

  His eldest brother, Georgio, was all too aware of Milo’s predicament and had been quizzing him about it for years but Milo didn’t want to think about that now. He turned to face his little sister. She was still staring at him with those huge eyes of hers. Milo thought of them as truth detectors because he was never able to lie when she looked at him.

  ‘I didn’t go to the beach on my own,’ he said.

  Tiana smiled at him. ‘Who did you go with?’

  ‘Her name’s Alice.’

  ‘That’s a pretty name.’

  ‘For a pretty girl,’ he said and then wondered if he should have volunteered such information.

  ‘Is she a tourist?’

  He nodded. ‘She’s from England.’

  ‘So she’ll be going home soon?’

  ‘Yes,’ Milo said, and the sudden realisation of that made him sad. Whatever had happened today and whatever was going to happen next, it was only going to last one short week and then she would leave his little island and go home.

  ‘Will I get to meet her or will she be like all your other girlfriends?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Milo asked, surprised by her question.

  ‘I never get to meet any of them,’ Tiana said with a definite sulk in her voice.

  ‘I didn’t know you wanted to meet them.’

  ‘Of course I want to meet them. I want to know if they’re right for you,’ she said and her face was perfectly serious.

  ‘Right for me?’ Milo frowned.

  She nodded as she cleared her plate and drank down the last of her juice. ‘You keep them all hidden away and I never get to meet them.’

  Milo scratched his head. This had never come up before. He’d always tried to keep his love life separate from his home life with Tiana because that had seemed the right thing to do but he was now being chastised for doing so.

  ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I can’t bring my girlfriends home all the time.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Well, because some of them don’t last lo
ng enough.’ He grimaced. That hadn’t come out right.

  ‘But I’d still like to meet them.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I don’t get to meet grown-up girls,’ she said and Milo felt a pang inside his heart at her words. She missed her mother, didn’t she? She was crying out for a replacement but wasn’t that enough of a reason not to bring his girlfriends home? Just imagine telling them at the end of a romantic dinner that they now had to be vetted by his little sister. That wasn’t exactly the stuff of romance, was it?

  ‘You should have taken me with you today,’ Tiana said, pouting.

  ‘But you had to go to school.’

  ‘Oh, I hate school,’ she declared.

  ‘No, you don’t.’

  ‘Well, take me on your next date with Alice.’

  ‘How do you know there’ll be a second one?’ he said.

  ‘Isn’t there?’

  Milo grinned. He wasn’t going to be able to get out of this one so he thought he might as well be honest. ‘I might be seeing her again,’ he said.

  ‘Good,’ Tiana said. ‘I’ll let you know what I think of her when you bring her home.’

  Spending a whole day with Stella when she should have been with Milo was the last thing Alice wanted to do but how else was she going to stop her sister from becoming overly suspicious? She just had to hope that Stella would soon grow bored of spending time with her and would run back to the villa, allowing Alice to return to see Milo.

  Alice was all too aware of the passing of time. She wasn’t going to be on Kethos for much longer and she wanted to spend as much time as possible with Milo. She’d never met anyone like him and, although they’d only spent a few hours together, she felt as if they had a real connection.

  The two sisters left their villa just after noon which was ridiculously early by Stella’s standards.

  ‘This had better be good,’ Stella said, looking up and down the road as they left the villa. It was the first time she’d set foot outside the gates since they’d arrived.

  ‘Of course it will be good. Kethos Town is beautiful,’ Alice said.

  ‘Well, I don’t really care if it’s beautiful or not. Are there any decent shops?’

  ‘I don’t think there are that many shops,’ Alice said, ‘but I’m sure there’ll be lots to do.’

  ‘Lots to do without shops?’ Stella said incredulously.

  It was then that the young lad on the bicycle from the day before passed them and, just as he’d done previously, he did a double take.

  ‘Honestly!’ Stella said in mock aggravation. ‘He’s way too young to be eyeing up somebody like me!’ She flicked her blonde hair over her shoulder and her gait developed an exaggerated swing. Alice rolled her eyes. This was going to be a very long day.

  Alice had been right about the number of shops in Kethos Town. There were a few that catered purely for the tourists, selling swimming costumes, suntan lotion, hats and postcards, but there was one little boutique that looked promising and Stella spotted it straight away. It was at the far end of the harbour and, to get to it, they had to walk by the row of men fishing along the harbour wall.

  At first, Alice didn’t think anything of it but, as each one turned round, their fishing forgotten as their eyes focused solely on Alice, she began to realise that something was wrong although she really did try to believe that it was Stella they were all looking at. That’s what Stella obviously thought too because a coquettish smile suddenly filled her face and she sucked in her tummy and thrust her chest forward.

  The boutique was tiny but packed with promising clothing from cool blues to vibrant oranges. There was colour everywhere and Alice instantly felt dowdy in her cream blouse and brown skirt. Why hadn’t she ever noticed how plain she looked? Well, she had, of course, but it had never bothered her enough to do anything about it but – suddenly – here and now – she wanted to change everything about the way she dressed. She wanted to be bright and colourful – like a butterfly rather than a moth. She wanted fabric to whisper over her body rather than submerge it. In short, she wanted to be beautiful.

  She caught sight of her reflection in one of the shop’s mirrors and noticed the definite sparkle in her eyes. Now was the time. Now was the time to change.

  ‘What do you think?’ Stella asked Alice as she held up a beautiful violet-coloured dress.

  For a split second, Alice was tempted to tell her what she really thought – that Stella was thoroughly spoilt and didn’t need to buy another item of clothing for at least ten years – but she held her tongue and nodded instead.

  ‘It’s lovely,’ she told her.

  ‘Hmmmmm,’ Stella said, pulling a face. ‘I don’t know.’ She twirled the dress around on its hanger and then placed it back on the rail and Alice’s hands flew towards it.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Stella asked.

  ‘I might try it on,’ Alice said.

  Stella looked dumfounded. ‘Are you sure it’s your kind of thing?’

  ‘Stella – you’re always complaining that I look dowdy and that my clothes are never right. So aren’t you the least bit pleased that I’m showing an interest now?’

  Stella looked far from pleased as Alice took the dress and headed towards the changing room. Maybe it was because she’d never had to fear Alice as a rival before; she’d grown used to having all the attention for herself.

  Alice smiled to herself as she disrobed and put the dress on. It looked gorgeous and she felt beautiful wearing it. She drew back the changing room curtain and stepped out for Stella to inspect her.

  ‘What do you think?’ she dared to ask.

  For a brief second, Stella looked stunned but then she shook her head. ‘It’s not you,’ she said.

  ‘I know,’ Alice said. ‘But it could be.’

  ‘Put it back. It’s just wrong.’

  Alice flinched and hesitated for a moment and then something awful happened – the new Alice was vanquished by the old one and she put the dress back.

  ‘I’m going to get this one,’ Stella announced, reaching for a glitzy gold gown that skimmed the knees and revealed plenty of cleavage. She didn’t even try it on. It wouldn’t matter if it didn’t fit or didn’t suit her. It would just go to the back of the wardrobe and be replaced by a dozen other new dresses.

  They left the shop half an hour later with three carrier bags full of new things for Stella. Alice was carrying two of them and wondering how on earth her sister was going to fit the new clothes into her already stuffed-to-the-brim suitcase. But Stella’s addiction to new clothes wasn’t what was bothering Alice as she took a surreptitious look at her watch. It was lunchtime and Stella was showing no signs of the boredom which Alice had been counting on. She was never going to get to the Villa Argenti at this rate, was she?

  ‘I’m hungry,’ Stella declared.

  Alice nodded and they entered a small taverna and chose a table overlooking the harbour.

  ‘I don’t think I like Greek food,’ Stella said as she gave the menu the once-over.

  ‘Just try some. It’s fresh and wonderful. You can’t spend all week eating cereal bars,’ Alice said.

  ‘I don’t see why not. At least you know what’s in them.’

  ‘Yes, sugar and additives and all sorts of horrors,’ Alice said.

  ‘Oh, don’t start, Alice! You can be such a bore.’

  The waiter came over and Alice gave him their order in her broken Greek. He smiled at her.

  ‘You are English?’ he asked. He was in his late fifties but he still had a twinkle in his eyes.

  ‘Yes,’ Alice said, ‘and my Greek is not very good.’

  ‘Ah! It is excellent!’ he said. ‘And you are a very beautiful woman – if you don’t mind me saying!’

  He turned to leave and Alice could feel herself blushing.

  ‘What was all that about?’ Stella said. ‘He didn’t even notice me!’

  ‘No,’ Alice said, taking a sip of water from the glass on the table.
>
  When the food arrived, Stella poked at it with a reluctant knife. ‘It’s not fish, is it?’ she asked.

  ‘No, it’s not fish,’ Alice said, knowing that Stella wouldn’t touch it if she knew what it really was.

  ‘Because I don’t want to eat anything from the sea.’

  ‘We’re on an island, Stella. Ninety per cent of the food is going to be from the sea.’ Alice watched as Stella took a forkful of food to her mouth and chewed. She was the only person Alice knew who could chew with her nose all screwed up.

  ‘Do you like it?’ Alice asked.

  ‘I’m not sure,’ Stella said as she took another mouthful.

  Alice grinned. It was actually fried kalamarakia – squid. It was something Milo said she couldn’t possibly leave Kethos without trying and it really was rather delicious if you didn’t think too much about legs and tentacles and such.

  They managed to get through another course of Greek food without Stella throwing too much of a strop and then Alice paid which was only fair, Stella pointed out because, of course, she was getting a free holiday.

  They took a walk along the harbour wall. The sea was a dark sapphire and there was a cool breeze coming from it that had Alice reaching for a trusty cardigan from her handbag.

  ‘Oh, Alice! You’re not going to wear that, are you?’ Stella said.

  ‘Why not? It’s chilly,’ Alice said as they turned into a winding alleyway that was so narrow, they had to walk one behind the other.

  ‘It’s absolutely hideous,’ Stella said, pulling at a lumpy grey sleeve. ‘Just look at it.’

  ‘I’ll have to get a new one,’ Alice said, shaking her sister’s hand from her and walking briskly ahead.

  ‘Yes, and I know exactly what you’ll buy – a new grey one!’

  ‘Look!’ Alice stopped so suddenly that Stella crashed right into her. ‘You’re not happy when I wear my old clothes and you’re not happy when I try on new ones either! Make up your mind, Stella!’

  Stella’s mouth dropped open at the outburst but she didn’t get time to say anything because Alice had marched onwards. They spent the next couple of hours drifting around the backstreets. Alice admired the simple beauty of the architecture and took photos whilst Stella complained about her shoes and examined her burgeoning blisters.